antinchip
pfm Member
My eldest brother turned 70 on 20th July and celebrated his birthday with a flight experience in "The Grace Spitfire" at Oxford Kidlington Airport on Sunday. Holding a private pilot's licence he was able to do most of the flying! I thought some might find photos of the aircraft of interest.
IMG_6587crop by Anthony Pugh, on Flickr
IMG_6601crop by Anthony Pugh, on Flickr
IMG_6648 by Anthony Pugh, on Flickr
(For some reason I have managed to stop the propeller spinning in each photo!)
Back story in my brother's words (to his siblings);
"It has been a lifelong dream to fly in a Spitfire and it will be for me and I am sure for all of you quite an emotional experience, especially as we remember our father and our two uncles. Bob and uncle Jack both flew Spitfires with Jack tragically killed in one sacrificing his life for another. Uncle Tom flew similar aircraft and was also tragically killed on operations in 1943 flying a Typhoon. I feel a real attachment to these three men and I know that they will be with me during this flight. I have gone through Dad's logbooks and have put together some facts which I think you will find interesting - Did you know that dad was off flying in a Tiger Moth on the 20th July 1953!! and that he flew on or around 20th July every year bar 2 for 33 years. Uncle Tom was also flying on a mission on the 23rd July 1943."
For background reading on "The Grace Spitfire" (and "Warbirds", who were exceptional on the day);
https://www.warbirdflights.co.uk/the-aircraft/spitfire-ml407
IMG_6587crop by Anthony Pugh, on FlickrIMG_6601crop by Anthony Pugh, on FlickrIMG_6648 by Anthony Pugh, on Flickr(For some reason I have managed to stop the propeller spinning in each photo!)
Back story in my brother's words (to his siblings);
"It has been a lifelong dream to fly in a Spitfire and it will be for me and I am sure for all of you quite an emotional experience, especially as we remember our father and our two uncles. Bob and uncle Jack both flew Spitfires with Jack tragically killed in one sacrificing his life for another. Uncle Tom flew similar aircraft and was also tragically killed on operations in 1943 flying a Typhoon. I feel a real attachment to these three men and I know that they will be with me during this flight. I have gone through Dad's logbooks and have put together some facts which I think you will find interesting - Did you know that dad was off flying in a Tiger Moth on the 20th July 1953!! and that he flew on or around 20th July every year bar 2 for 33 years. Uncle Tom was also flying on a mission on the 23rd July 1943."
For background reading on "The Grace Spitfire" (and "Warbirds", who were exceptional on the day);
https://www.warbirdflights.co.uk/the-aircraft/spitfire-ml407
